SANTO DOMINGO.- Senator Francisco Domínguez today called the 99-year lease of several square miles of Government lands in Barahona, to the developer Terma de Salamandra to build a hotel “confusing and strange.”

The Santiago senator said it’s difficult to understand how a company with 500,000 pesos in capital can announce investments of more than 560 million dollars in just 10 years.

He argued that since in the rental contract the company pledges to invest 24 million dollars in the first year, “I want to know how they are going to appear.”

The lawmaker said he’s not against the South region’s tourist development, but the rental contract doesn’t meet formal and legal requirements. “Hopefully the people can get the money for the investment stated in the contract without difficulty, however, this is simply a good will statement, it’ll be necessary to wait and see if it’s adhered to.”

The company pledged to build a 1,000 room hotel complex, villas, golf courses, health centers, among others facilities within 10 years in Canoa, Barahona, and paid the Government 500,000 dollars.

The Senate yesterday approved the contract which now goes to the Chamber of Deputies, whose endorsement is also expected.